Joining gym

[Siity]

I have now joined gym I wondered how much stress on heart two years after heart attack just passed a stress test and everything ok so just wondering what I should use and how much

[Heather1957]

Most gyms have someone who will give you an induction based on you age, weight, fitness and health.

You need some idea of the max heart rate you should hit before needing to slow down.

I don't believe without the basics as above anyone can tell you what you need to do.

Have the introduction and they will plan out some exercises for you.

[Siity in reply to Heather1957]

Thanks I will give them a call and see what they thanks again

[Heather1957 in reply to Siity]

When I joined a local gym some time ago your first session had to be with a personal trainer so they could show you how to use the equipment properly, hopefully your gym will do the same.

[Siity in reply to Heather1957]

Thanks for that just a bit nervous not been to a gym for years

[Villagelife in reply to Siity]

All the gym I've been to are friendly but its normal to feel nervous when going to somewhere new. An induction day & personal trainer will help. Before you know it you will be a recognised member of the gym. Hope you enjoy your new venture Im sure it will be worth it.

[Nettekin]

Crikey, need a lie down just from reading your schedule! Interesting what you have to say about HIIT training as it was always drummed into me at my rehab that a slow warm up and cool down were essential. How do you / can you fit this into a HIIT regime? Need a complete exercise overhaul and have been looking at HIIT as part of a programme, so interested in your experience.

Ps is the photography still going strong? X

[Heather1957 in reply to Nettekin]

That is certainly part of the rehab I was doing a warm up and cool down was essential but that was pre circuits that never happened when I was at the gym on my own.

[Chappychap]

Couple of points,

1. Back in the days of face-to-face Cardio Rehab you would have been shown how to take your own pulse and you would have been given a safe maximum heart rate tailored to you as an individual. Nowadays we just have to do our best. One commonly quoted guide for maximum heart rate is deduct your age from 220, so if you're 50 years old the maximum heart rate would be 170. Personally I suspect this is a bit high, so I'd check with your GP or telephone the wonderful cardiac nurses at the BHF.

2. A really critical issue for heart patients is an extended warm-up and cool down. We need the warm up to fully open the small capillaries that serve our muscles before exertion. And we need the cool down to reduce the risk of fainting because of our heart medication.

3. Be sensible, but don't wrap yourself in cotton wool. Many people over emphasise the link between heart attacks and exertion, after all nearly half of heart attacks happen while people are asleep! The hard fact is that the atherosclerosis that is behind the majority of heart attacks can never be cured, all we can do is slow it's progress with a combination medication and life style changes. Regular exercise, weight loss, and a healthy diet are absolutely central components in that plan.

Good luck!

[Heather1957 in reply to Chappychap]

119 was my given HR, I use a fitbit which I found helpful. If I found in rehab I was exceeding that I took a walk around the gym until the HR came down.

When I did the assessment on Wednesday my HR was much better than when tested previously so the more you do the lower your HR will become.

[Siity in reply to Chappychap]

Thanks great advice chappychap

[Nettekin]

Maybe a drop a birthday / Christmas hint?😋Thanks for the info. Exercise slipped badly recently not helped by excruciating back spasms for the last week, so floating on a little cloud of diazepam at the moment!

Promised myself now house move has happened after 7+ months of stress I will knuckle down. Beautiful new area to discover - further south than you, nearer Pembrokeshire - great coast and inland to discover. May even get my own camera out a birthday present in 2019 and not used yet .

[firstlight40]

Hi there,Have been much in the same position as you and was a gym member before and after my HA. A few points that I found useful

So while I was in cardiac rehab they gave you a safe exercise level and of course talked about the great importance of warm up / cool down.

The level of exercise you can do does depend on medication, I could do more once I was off bisoprolol.

Having a stress test does help build some confidence that you are not going to immediately expire on exercising but do take gtn spray with you just in case.

I was told it was important to set your own pace and not get sucked into activities where you might think you might get tempted to over exert yourself like HIIT and spin - at least until you were quite fit.

Tell the people at the gym about your condition. Competent trainers will appreciate being told and will set appropriate goals for you, they'll also keep an eye out for you too.

[pasigal]

I too am struggling with this; before my heart issues started in 2020 I would regularly push my body as hard as possible in the gym, on the bike etc. I'd love to at least get back to the gym and resume weight training but I am not comfortable with my ability to keep my HR in a reasonable range. My cardiologist says I can push as hard as I want but I can't yet commit to it.

For reference my max HR is about 166 at age 54 (just using the -220 test), although I hit 181 on a stationary bike stress test in March, so I know I can do it! It's probably more of a psychological barrier for me as one of my HA's came when I was out on a run...

[MICH54]

I was told to only go to a gym who had a staff trained for cardio. My cardio nurse explain that my heart rate should not go higher than 80% more than my resting rate. But I am older than you so it maybe different for men your age. Stay healthy.

[Hidden]

Nice tight little workout, have copied and pasted it…Ta

[ZM1281]

At 44 it's been over 1.5 years since my HA, a sudden blocked artery with a 1 stent fitted. Been doing a lot of HIIT in recent weeks, started off slow, if you can't keep up then don't, just rest until you are ready to go again. Now I do full sessions at full pace and not worried about anything else, you know your body best, just don't over do it and rest if you need.

[Hidden]

Dear Siity

The main problem I have is that I built most of my gym routine around pull ups {weighted ankles etc} and using a roll out abs roller.

Both of these exercises I found controlled extra weight on both my chest and stomach, kept me lean and shaped for little effort.

Now after the Bypass both of these exercises were out for a number of weeks and so the old running reared its head and after a few hiccups became my go to thing { maybe as much mental than physical }

Now with out boring us all , the great cardiology dept has deemed that a CRT-D , Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy with Defibrillator { I knew it would come back to bite me in the bum when I requested that posts didn’t contain acronym’s} and it seems that these two exercises are a no no.

Well I say No No, but no one can answer me and bless their hearts {cough} they are more interested in mending me than of me maintaining my God like body {double cough}

The answer is adapted ability {one word or two?} and like everyone else I will have to change, not only my work outs but also my goals and relax into the fact that I am here to be able to even think of returning to exercise.

Take care you will get there.

[Hello-Grandad]

If you live near Bristol, the cardiac rehabilitation courses have restarted. I can give you the telephone number of the person you need to contact for details. It costs £5 per 1 hour session

[Lad0820]

Following a stent a couple of years back I was advised just to manage my heart rate at 75% of the maximum that has been covered elsewhere.....

[Franky17]

Hi listen to your body and make sure you have your spray in your pocket

[Foley1]

Your Gym may have and instructor who has BACPR (British Association for Cardiovascular

Prevention & Rehabilitation) accreditation. If not they should have someone who deals with GP referals. They would be able to put together a safe exercise plan for you.

[nilmonisikdar40]

Hi Sitty, It depends on so many factors but the most important things you are the best judgement of your capability. Some well trained physiotherapist may be well versed to give you appropriate advice. Swimming is the best exercise because being suspended in water can do you no harm.

[Andyman]

I use a personal trainer who watches me and controls what I do so that I don't overdo it.Sometimes I think I can push a bit more and he holds me back other times I feel it's too much but he pushes me. Find one who has experience with heart issues and follow their advice.

I can now go on my own and feel safe in what I'm doing.

Good luck.

[Lad0820]

I use a heart monitor for exercise and try to avoid exceeding it for too long. I have changed exercise habits to less intense and will do longer at lower heart rates than before....

[Henry20]

My thought on this is to make sure that your instructor is cardiac trained. I wouldn't go to just any gym and a random instructor.

[TheGreenMile]

I joined a gym during lockdown and knew my limits, but once they found out that I had a heart attack they stopped me using the facilities until I could provide a letter from my doctor basically telling them that I knew my limits and knew not to push myself beyond my limits - they accepted the letter but then moved the goalposts by telling me what I could and could not do.

I cancelled my membership

[Davey77]

I'm going to specialist Cardiac Rehab classes at my local gym. At first I was worried because my FitBit showed a heart-rate higher than the maximum specified by the main Cardiac Rehab department, but the instructor said she can spot signs of over-exertion. I soon realised that the important thing was not the peak figure, but how quickly it recovers.I would be worried about setting up my own exercise routine without advice. As others have said, try to find someone with experience of dealing with heart patients. The peace of mind that gives you, will also be good for your heart.